I have been a pediatric nurse since 2015 and a certified pediatric nurse practitioner since 2019 and I love working with children.

I can truly say that throughout my journey in the pediatric specialty, I have seen what resilience, drive, and tenacity truly means. The children and adolescents I have had the pleasure to work with in the inpatient, primary care, and urgent care settings have opened my eyes to a world that I didn’t know existed. Regardless of what they are faced with, these brave warriors are so strong and leave an impressionable imprint on my heart.

When I was a little girl myself, I knew that I wanted to work with children in some capacity (i.e. teacher, doctor, nurse, etc.). For me, as long as it was with children, I knew I would be satisfied in making a difference. Since I have chosen to work with the pediatric population within the healthcare realm, I love knowing that I am optimizing healthier outcomes for them, which in turn foreshadows a brighter and healthier future.

My Doctor of Nursing Practice project focused on the overweight and obese pediatric population within primary care, and how a family-based program could help improve quality of life and health behaviors. During the 8-week implementation phase, the desired outcome became a reality when each child and adolescent demonstrated better habits, healthier outcomes, and for some, weight loss.